Draft-gear for railway-cars.



N0-'760,75'.. -PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

` W. I". RIGIIARDA;l .DRAFT GEAR PoR RAILWAY GARS.

. APrLIoATIoN FILED 001224. iso'z. l no ImonnI.. A a sums-snm I.

ms versus co". mofa-LITRO.. wmrfomu. D. c,

NOI 760,757.-

I i A PATRNTRD MAY 24, 1904. W. Fg. RICHARDS.

DRAFT GRAR PDR RAILWAY GARS.

y APPLICATION rILDD 00T. 24, 1902.:

No MODEL.

2 SHEETS-@RET z.

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Patented may 24, 1 9o4.

- fUNI-TFD ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.`-

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIeNoR To GOULD OOUFLFR -COMPANY, OF NRW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION-OF wnsr ,VIRGINIA- IJIIRAFT-GEAVRv Fon IRAILWAY-GAIRS sPEorFrcATIoN foming' part of ,Letters Patent No. 760,757, daf-.ed May 24, 1964.

' Application filed October 24, 1902. Serial Noi 128,620.` (No model.)

To dll tlf/1,0m'v may concern:

Be it known that L WILLARD F. RICHARDS,

i a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New;

York, have invented new and useful `Improvements in Draft-Gears for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a-'draft-gear 4for railway-'cars in which the coupler is carried at the outer endof a long draw-bar which is pivoted at its inner end or portion and is capable of an extended or relatively great lateral swing or movement., The gear is especially applicable to long carssuch, for' instance, as street-cars-which `are operated upon roads having relatively short or sharp curves. v v Y v One object of the invention is tol providea draft-gear of simple, strong, and durable construction in which the draw-bar is allowed v the maximum lateral swing and is adequately supported at all points of -its movement.

Another object of theA invention is the provision of a construction and arrangement of partly in plan, showing the draw-bar'swung" to one side. Fig. 4 is ai transverse vertical sectionl through the spring] housing or case.

Fig. 'is a transverse vertical-section through the supporting-carriage for the outer end of the draw-bar. Y

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the'several figures.

Inthe accompanying dIaW ES thedmfli gear isshown frame.

A A represent, respectively, the central applied to a street-car-fioor platform timbers, B the car end sill, and C the platform end sill or end portion of the platform-floor. D represents a support or beaingfor the draft and buing sprin g case or housing, which is shown at'E. The bearing is in the form of -a casting and is provided at its rear upper portion with transverse flanges d d', which der side of the ear end sill. The support is also provided with longitudinal side ian'ges d2, which extend up beside and inside of the rlongitudinal drafttimbers, to which the flanges are secured by bolts or, the like d3.

The upper portion of the draft and bufling.

springhousing or case is cylindrical and extends up through and rotatably bears in a circular opening in the horizontal plate of the .are secured by bolts or otherwise on lthe unsupport or bearing. lThe housing or case is .preferably-provided with an external annular iange -or bead e', which extends laterally beneath and bears against a horizontal ycircular,

"face on the under side of the support or bearing surrounding the bearing-opening for the hous- The housing or case 1s supported ing or case. l in the hanger and permitted to turn freely therein yby wheels or rollers F, `which are e tion of the housing o r case,r which is'prefer'- ably provided with portions f' of increased the axles.

journaled on'studs or axles f, secured in any H 8o thickness to afford ample4 bearing-surface for l' The rollers or wheels travel upon a circular trackqorv horizontal face surround the housing orcase.,` This construction enport shoulders ont'liesupport and housing are of -ing'the bearing-opening in vthe support for 8 5 l ables a very free and unlimited horizontal ro: tatiollrofy 'the housing in the bearing or supf f d-fth cooperating bearing faces Aor G represents the draw-bar, and g'the. l l,

ler, which is secured to or connec the `front orouter end of the draw'bar,4 The draw-'bar may be of any usual or suitable construction. The draw-bar is provided at its inner or rear end with a longitudinal stem ZL', which projects through opposite openings in the lower rectangular portion of the spring housing or case. I I represent oppositelyarranged follower-thimbles, which loosely surround the draw-bar stem and are arranged tomove longitudinally in the openings in the housing, through which the stem passes. The thimble or follower I abuts at its outer end against a shoulder z' on the'draw-bar and -is provided at its inner end with a flange adapted to bear against the inner face of theend wall of the housing or case. The other thimble or follower, I', is provided with a flange at its inner end, which abuts against the inner face-of the rear-wall of the lower portion of the housing'or case and abuts atits other end against a shoulder or stop, formed on the draw-bar stem in the present instance by a nut z", screwed on the threaded inner end of the draw-bar stem and held from turning thereon by a key or pin 2, arranged in ahole port and the springs are always carried around with the draw-bar, thereby always being retained in the direct line of action of the draft and buiing strains on the draw-bar.,

. The cooperating bearing faces or shoulders on the support and housing areof ample-dimensions and strength to resist Ythe draft and buiiin g strains and shocks to which the housing is subjected. The other end of the draw-bar is supported or held from sagging, and the housing is thereby relieved of any torsional or twisting strains, due to the weight of the drawbar and coupler, in the following manner: I(

represents a track which in the construction shown is composed of two separated horizontal rails which are supported beneath. the curved end sill or end portion of the car-platform. The rails are curved concentrically with the axis of the spring housing or case and are supported, for instance, by means of brackets k, which have horizontal lower ends secured to the und er sides of the rails and horizontal upper endswhich are secured tothe longitudinal draft and buiing timbers by bolts or in any other suitable manner. L represents a hanging roller-carriage for the outer end of the draw-bar. This carriage in the construetion shown is provided with a yoke, through which the draw-bar passes, and with a bearing or projection Z, which extends up between the separated curved rails of the track K. The carriage is provided with wheels or rollers M,

The springs sur-` which are journaled on suitable studs or axles which project from the bearing of the carriage and which are secured thereto in any well-known or preferred manner. This manner of supporting the outer or forward end of the draw-bar permits the latter to swing freely from one side to the other of the car. The

Vmovement is notlimited or restricted by any hangers or supports for the track, and the latter is supported at its ends and intermediate portions by the supporting-brackets, so that the track cannot sag and the carriage always has a lirm horizontal support. Any suitable means may be employed for limiting the swing of the draw-bar. In the construction shown the ends of the track-rails are turned up to provide stops for this purpose.

I claim as my inventionw` l. The combination with the end sill, draw-bar pivoted at its inner end, a track supported above the outer endof the draw-bar curved-concentrically with the draw-bar pivot, and extending from end to end of the end sill, and a traveling supporting-carriage for the outer end of the draw-bar hung on said track, said carriage being of substantially the width of the outer end of the draw-bar whereby the latter can swing from end to end of said end sill, substantially as set forth.4

2. The Acombination of adraw-bar, a draftspring housing which supports the inner end ofthe draw-bar, one or more draft-springs in said housing, a bearing supported above said draw-bar on which said housing is rotatably mounted, a track supported above the outer portion of said draw-bar, and a movable supporting-carriage for the outer end of the drawbar hanging from said track, substantially as set forth. l

3. The combination of a draw-bar, adraftspring housing which supports theinnerend of the draw-bar and which is mounted to turn with the draw-bar, one or more draft-springs carried by said housing, al curved track supported above the outer portion of said drawbar, and a movable carriage for the outer end of the draw-bar hanging from said track, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a draw-bar, a pivotal support for the inner end of'the4 same, separated curved track-rails supported above the outer portion of the draw-bar, and a supporting-carriage for the outer end of the drawbar provided with supporting-wheels which roll on said rails, substantially as set forth.

l 5. rIhe combination of a diaw-bar, a draftspring housing which supports the inner end of said draw-bar, one or more draft-springs carried by said housing, a bearing for said spring-housing, supporting-wheels for said housing which travel on said bearing, and a support forthe outer end of the draw-bar, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a draw-bar, a draftspring housing which supports the inner end of a ` of the draw-bar, abearing for said housing provided with a circular bearing-openingand a surrounding track, said housing havinga clrcular upper portion extendlng up through said opening, supporting-wheels for said housingvwhich travel on said track on said bearing, and means for supporting the outer end of the draw-bansubstantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a bearing provided with a' horizontal circular track, a draft-spring housing provided with supporting-wheels.

which travel on saidcircular track on the bearing, a draw-bar .stem which extends through diametrically opposite openings in said housing, followers loosely mounted between-shoulders on said stem, and one or more draft and buiiing springs arranged in' said housing between said followers, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with draft-timbers and anA end sill, of va bearing provided with trans-4 -Y Verse `iianges secured to said end sill, and longitudinal vertical flanges secured to saiddraft+ timbers, a draft-spring housing, supportingwheels for said housing which travel onal circular track on said bearing, a draw-bar provided withfa stem which projects through openings in said draft-spring housing, fo'llowers loosely mounted in said housing between shoulders or stops on said draw-bar stern, and draft and bufingfsprings surrounding said stem betweensaid followers, substantially as set forth. f

Witness my hand this 22d day of October, 1902.Y Y

WILLARD F. RICHARDS,

Witnesses;

JNO. J. BoNNER, C. M; BENTLEY; 

